The Crusaders do Chemistry
by farglewiggins
Summary: After Applebloom gets the Cutie-pox, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders decide to visit Zecora to see if they can get their potion-making cutie-marks. But when they get there, Zecora tells them that she uses mostly chemistry, not magic. They learn several things and then finally join the science fair. Will they win a trip to see Celestia?


The Crusaders do Chemistry

"Zecora! Wait up!" Scoot-a-loo yelled to the strange pony. (she was actually a zebra, but no one really seemed to realize that).

"We need your help!" Kori called out. "Please stop!"

"Guys!" Sweetie-belle stopped galloping, interrupting their yelling. "We're obviously not going to get her attention by yelling."

Applebloom stopped and spoke too, "I suggest we go back to Twilight's library and get directions to her house, maybe a map?"

The other two Cutie-Mark Crusaders stopped galloping and contemplated the suggestion.

"Hmmm, we-e-e-ell I guess we could…" Kori said hesitantly, "I still think we can catch her, though. And even if we don't, it's just the Everfree forest...right?"

The other fillies looked at her as if she were an insane-asylum inmate.

"'Just the Everfree forest' is dark winding paths like a maze, ferocious wild animals, and lots of magical poisonous plants!" Applebloom exclaimed.

"She's right. There is no way that we are going in there unprepared!" Sweetie-belle stated adamantly.

"Fine" Kori grumbled. "Let's go get that map."

"Thanks, Twilight!" the Crusaders all said in unison as they walked away from the library and towards Scoot-a-loo's parked scooter (with the wagon attached).

"Have a fun time… uh-" Twilight paused, realizing she had no idea what they were using it for, "… using the map!" She trotted back inside, shaking her head at her own ignorance.

By that time the Cutie-Mark Crusaders were already speeding out of town to the edge of the Everfree forest.

"I just cannot believe that _anyone_ would want to live in _there_." Sweetie-belle spoke as the moss- and vine-covered trees loomed closer.

"You're right, it's reeeeal creepy." Scoot-a-loo shivered.

"COOOOOL!" Kori's eyes widened at the sight of the swampy mass.

"NO-O-O-OT COOL!" Applebloom countered.

"pshhh. You guys ruin all the fun." Kori slumped grumpily in the wagon.

The scooter screeched to a halt and the Crusaders jumped out.

"Ooookay, looks like we go in...here," Applebloom studied the map while Sweetie-belle held it. "Aaaaaand… it seems if we just go straight, take a left, go 20 feet, then turn around and walk 5 feet, turn right, go forward, and then spin in circles for 30 sec, and then finally go through the path with the bear skull… we'll be there!"

Blink… Blink… The others stared at her with blank faces... Blink… Blink.

Applebloom let out an exasperated sigh, "I'll lead the way."

They followed Applebloom through the opening that she had indicated to and continued forward into the dark space.

Strange sights, sounds, and smells greeted them as they journeyed on. Every now and then as they trotted along, a bird or squirrel would flash across the path, startling the fillies. Once there was even a large badger that stormed across with a snake following close behind and a raven flapping its wings crazily, spreading ebony-colored feathers all over them. Scoot-a-loo even swore she heard a lions roar in the close distance. Three of them huddled together as they walked, terrified of every small, suspicious rustle in the tall, blue-green, fern-like bushes, or squawk of a nearby bird. Kori just walked along, smirking at their paranoia.

Finally after wandering around for a long while, they came upon Zecora's hut.

"Hello, my fine little filly friends. I hope you didn't stray to dead ends." Zecora rhymed on as she opened her door and ushered them in, giving them carved wooden cups filled with a warm, honey-filled tea.

"Gee, thanks Zecora!" Applebloom said enthusiastically, "It was sure cold out there!"

The others eyed their tea warily, but seeing that Applebloom was guzzling down her own as fast as her throat would let her, they- one by one- all started sipping.

"What brings you here, all alone? Has somepony been turned to stone?"

"No! no! no!" Sweetie-belle exclaimed, then realizing what Zecora had actually said, continued on, confused, "... Stone?"

"Ohhh, I see. It is nothing big." Zecora spoke, thinking about a previous visit, "At least he didn't turn into a _pig_."

"Wait! let me get this straight… somepony turned to _stone_… and you _cured_ them?"

"Why, yes, I did. And quickly too. He came on top of Ditsy Do!"

"The Mail-carrier?" All four Cutie-Mark Crusaders said in unison.

"Yes, that is her." Zecora said, slightly confused, "Asked what his ailment was and she said, 'Der'... What brings you here, again? Please tell me now and not then."

Scoot-a-loo spoke up, "Well, we were wondering, since Applebloom got the Cutie-pox from making that one potion-"

"If she had a talent in potion making!" Kori interjected. "We wanted to know if you would teach all of us, some potion-making skills!"

"Yeah! that funky magic that you do with the glowing soup!" Sweetie-belle exclaimed.

"No, no, no, it's not magic, you see. It's just a little chemistry!"

They all leaned in, very interested, "Oooooh...What's chemistry?"

"Well, when you take two or more chemicals, and mix them up, they make a reaction that could blow up… But not always that reaction, for sure. Sometimes it changes the temperature."

"How do you know what will happen with a chemical, though?" Applebloom said.

"Now, listen close as I tell you about these, characteristics called properties."

The Crusaders leaned in closely.

"There are two different types of these properties. Chemical and physical are two examples of these."

"Whoaaa- that's really cool!" Scoot-a-loo spoke.

"Let us start with physical. First look at this one pickle… it is deep green and very bumpy. And if you cut off a piece it is still lumpy."

The fillies all watched as Zecora cut a piece off of the designated pickle.

"Ooooooh, so it's still a pickle… It's just a different shape!"

"That is correct. It has the same effect- with a piece of paper…"

"Uhhh… Zecora, you can stop rhyming while you teach us." Applebloom said kindly, seeing that Zecora was starting to have problems rhyming with the big words.

"Thank you much. I have problems with such."

"Like you, can stop now… as in right now." Sweetie-belle said.

"Oh, okay… Well, as I was saying before, Physical properties are characteristics that identify a substance's ability to change physically."

"So, how does something change chemically?" Kori inquired.

"Well that would happen if a change occurred to the substance, but it either couldn't be changed back, or it generated heat, changed color, gave off a gas, burned up, or had light given off."

"So like when I accidentally spilled vinegar into the baking soda carton and it started bubbling!" Kori exclaimed.

"How did you spill vinegar into the baking soda carton? It's always on the top shelf at your house." Sweetie-belle said questioningly.

Kori's face reddened and she spoke quietly, "Splitfire said that it would blow up…"

"That is exactly what I am talking about, actually." Zecora spoke up again, "The bubbling was Carbon Dioxide being produced by the baking soda and vinegar reacting to each other."

"That is so cool!" Scoot-a-loo said.

"Yes it is. Now to make sure you understand this, I'm going to have to test you. You can't go any further without knowing this material."

"A _test_ you say?" Applebloom said suspiciously.

"This is NOT school!" Kori said defiantly.

"No it is not, but you did come here to learn, did you not?"

The four grumbled and looked at their hooves.

Zecora continued on with a slightly bribing voice this time, "You do want to get your cutie-marks, don't you?"

The Cutie-mark Crusaders looked up with renewed vigor.

"Of course!" they all said together.

"All right, all I need you to do is each name a chemical and a physical property of an object."

"What? That's _easy_!" Sweetie-belle said enthusiastically, "I'll go first… let's see… I choose paper… a chemical property is that it can dissolve in high acid… and a physical is that it can be cut!"

"Well, pshhh, you got the easy part! Now we have to think of something else!" Kori interjected.

"Well, that's just too bad for you!" Sweetie-belle snapped back. "It's not my fault if _you_ can't think of anything!"

"Fillies! Fillies! Please calm down. We need to get through this quickly. It is almost dusk!"

"Okay," Kori grumbled, " Let me think… okay! Mine is iron… a chemical is that it can rust… and a physical property is that it can melt!"

Kori smiled and looked at the others with pride.

Scoot-a-loo mumbled to herself, "Show off."

"Alright who's next?" Zecora said kindly.

"Ooo! ooo! Me me me!" Applebloom had her hoof in the air, waving it like a maniac.

"Go ahead, Applebloom."

"Okay...An apple's chemical property is that it can rot, and a physical property is that it can bruise (get crushed)"

"Well done Applebloom! Now, Scoot-a-loo, go ahead…" Zecora encouraged.

Scoot-a-loo grumbled a little, then stepped forward a bit to deliver her information. "Mine is... Fur. A chemical property is that it can be bleached or dyed, and a physical property is that it can be cut…"

"Good job, Everypony!" Zecora said enthusiastically. "I am afraid it is getting too dark for us to continue, but you can come back tomorrow!"

The Crusaders got up and started walking out of the door, thanking Zecora as they went.

"Good-bye and please, about my not-rhyming, don't make a peep. After all I _do_ have a reputation to keep!"

Over the next few days, Cutie-Mark Crusaders returned to Zecora's hut. They learned that if you add heat energy to a group of molecules, it speeds up the molecules, causing the object (of which molecules it is) to change phase (solid to liquid, liquid to gas, etc). They also learned that the energy that came from creating a chemical reaction, could be classified as either heat energy, light energy, or sound energy. Like striking a match generates heat.

Each time, Zecora would make them list things, such as what chemical reactions involved atmospheric oxygen; respiration, combustion, rusting, photosynthesis, and such (Which they learned are part of everyday life). They learned that most of the time a chemical change would change the physical properties of the substance.

One Saturday, three of them were learning how mass was neither created nor destroyed (Kori hadn't arrived yet), and Zecora was having them balance equations.

" Wait, I just can't figure this out." Scoot-a-loo said turning her paper to the side. "I mean, how can you turn 6 Carbon, 12 Hydrogen, and 6 Oxygen into 3 Carbon, 6 Hydrogen, and 3 Oxygen?"

"Um… Scoot-a-loo, you do realize that you just multiply the whole Product side by 2 and you have it…" Sweetie-belle said.

"Which side is that, again?"

Sweetie-belle leaned over and pointed at Scoot-a-loo's paper.

"Remember, the reactants are the elements that the arrow is pointing _away_ from. The products are the elements that the arrow is pointing _to_."

"Oh yeaaahhh… I forgot about that…"

"Hey guys!" Everyone in the room jumped in surprise at Kori's boisterous entry. "Guess what?! Guess what?!"

Zecora came in through another doorway, with a basket of flamboyant flowers and other plants, wondering what the racket was. "What is it, little one? Is there anything you need done?"

"Zecora, you don't have to rhyme in front of us." Applebloom said for what had been about the twentieth time that day.

Zecora ignored her and turned her attention to Kori.

Kori turned to the other Cutie-mark Crusaders and spoke enthusiastically. "You wouldn't believe what I found in town!" She waved a piece of paper in their faces.

"Well maybe we would if you told us…" Scoot-a-loo said, zipping over to see the text.

She leaned in, but Kori moved the paper away from her.

"Hey! I wanna know!" Scoot-a-loo said, slightly annoyed that Kori was being such a stinge (in her opinion).

"And you will… when I tell you!"

She (Scoot-a-loo) sat on her haunches and glared at Kori.

"Can you please tell us, Kori?" Applebloom said politely.

"Sure!"

Each of the other fillies leaned in to hear.

"There's a SCIENCE FAIR at the schoolhouse on Tuesday! And with all that we've learned, we'll win it for sure!"

"COOOOL!" the others said in unison.

"You will have to prepare for this… _science fair_." Zecora stated.

"Of course, why wouldn't we?" Sweetie-belle said, "What's the prize?"

Kori studied the flyer as the others crowded around her. "Well… - HOLY NEBULANIE! The top three winners get a trip to meet and get congratulated by Princess Celestia HERSELF!"

"WHAT!" The Crusaders all screeched in shock.

Zecora, eyes wide with surprise and delight, spoke, "Woahhh! that is one big prize! You must work hard, and be very wise!"

"No kidding! We've got to get started now!" Applebloom exclaimed.

Three days later, on the designated Tuesday, the four Cutie-mark Crusaders stood around their project in the showcase area. They had done an experiment to see how fast a sugar cube would dissolve in water, with several different variables. They had tested heating the water, stirring the water, crushing the sugar cube, and combinations of the three. Eventually they decided that both crushing, stirring, _and_ heating the cube in the water, proved most effective. Even though once or twice, when Applebloom (who had been in charge of the experiment) had caught Kori eating the test subjects, they had to get new ones, and that slowed them down a bit. Nevertheless, they had finished, and were confident that they were going to win; not only in the top three, but first place. So, they decided to go around to see the other projects.

"Honestly, I don't think anypony is going to beat us." Sweetie-belle stated proudly, "I mean, all of the other projects are baking soda volcanoes and such."

"Yeah, no kidding, we're going' up against a bunch of rookies and dweebs!" Kori said, just a bit meanly.

The fillies walked around looking at projects. After going around the area about half-way, they came upon a classmate's project.

Kori snickered and bumped the others shoulders, nudging them to look at the colt. "Look, at ol' Allon's project."

They all walked over and examined Allon's poster.

"So, what's your project?" Sweetie-belle asked him.

He looked up from his calculator, spiky dark brown mane in his face, and his thin-rimmed glasses almost falling off of his pale brown muzzle.

"Oh, um, well, I was researching how scientists have used chemistry to create rust resistant paints for bridges and skyscrapers-"

"Well, that's cool and all but we gotta go!" Kori interjected, steering the other fillies away from the project. "See ya, bye!"

They walked away to the next isle, Kori pushing at them all the way. Finally Scoot-a-loo broke free and spoke angrily at Kori.

"Gosh Kori! That was really rude of you! I was really actually interested in that project!"

"Yeah…" Applebloom said. "Why _were_ you being so rude?"

"Oh...um...well…"

"Oh my gosh!" Sweetie-belle gasped.

"What?" the others looked at her, startled by her outburst and curious for the answer.

"Kori has a crush on Allon!" She whispered excitedly.

"I DO NOT!" Kori yelled defiantly.

"Eeeeek! It's the angry defiance! She really _does_!"

Kori glared at Sweetie-belle for a moment, then her gaze softened and she looked at her hooves.

"Yeah, he's cool…" Kori finally admitted.

The others started to giggle when she interrupted them.

"BUT, that doesn't mean you have to go around spreading the word!" She looked at her hooves again and then spoke embarrassedly. "I get really nervous around him…"

"It's okay, Kori!" Applebloom said kindly as she put her hoof on Kori's shoulder. "We won't say a word!"

"Thanks."

"Hello, girls!" Ms. Cheerilee walked up to the group. "Do you have your project set up and ready?"

"Yes, Ms. Cheerilee!" They exclaimed in unison.

"That's great! Now, be over to your displays soon; We'll be announcing the winners in a couple minutes!"

"Okay. Thanks for the reminder." Scoot-a-loo said genuinely.

"Let's get over there, guys!" Kori said. "We've got a prize to accept!"

Everypony gathered around a small platform with a podium for the announcement of the winners and the giving out of prizes.

Mayor Mare trotted up to podium and cleared her throat. The crowd went silent.

She spoke, "Thank you, everypony, for coming to this year's, first ever, annual Science Fair!"

The crowd applauded.

"First of all, I would like to thank Ms. Cheerilee and her students for their participation and hard work! Also, I would like to thank them for letting us use their schoolhouse for the presentations and displays, thank you so much for that!"

The crowed roared with appreciation.

"And finally, I would like to thank our Special Guests for coming and being the judges of this fine event!"

Mayor Mare indicated to three ponies in labcoats off to the side of the stage.

"They've come all the way from The Canterlot Study Institute of Chemistry and Interdimensional Science, and, as I said before, have spared their studying time to come and judge the wonderful projects that we have here!"

Another roaring applause.

"Now, that being said, I would like to invite one such guest to come up and announce the winners! Fillies and Gentlecolts… I give you, Doctor Whooves!"

The crowd went crazy, screaming out their applauses and more.

The Doctor trotted up to the podium, with a sealed envelope in his mouth. He set the envelope down and waited for the noise to die down.

"Hello, everypony!" He said enthusiastically in a Bridleish accent (British for you and me). "How is everypony today?!"

An approving 'Good' came up.

"Well, that's just fantastic! Who's ready for our Winners?!"

Down in the crowd, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders watched him excitedly.

"Weird, he's like a grown-up version of Allon…" Scoot-a-loo whispered to Kori.

Kori frowned then studied him closer. "You're right, he is… accent and everything."

They stared for a moment, then shrugged it off and yelled with the crowd; a great whooping, "WE ARE!"

"And our first place winner is…Drumroll please!..."

The crowd held their breath as Doctor Whooves opened the envelope.

"... Allon Whooves!"

The crowd went ballistic.

The Crusaders stared, jaws on the floor, as Allon walked happily up to the podium to accept a certificate.

Just then it dawned on them…

"Doctor Whooves is Allon's DAD!"

The Crusaders just stared.

"That is so… WEIRD!" Scoot-a-loo said, numbly.

"No, kidding…" Applebloom agreed.

"Aaaand our second place winner is… The Cutie-Mark Crusaders!"

They stood there for a moment, not comprehending his words, when it suddenly clicked and their faces lit up in sheer joy and disbelief.

"AAAAAAHHHHH! WE'RE IN THE TOP THREE!"

The four fillies galloped up to receive their certificate and a hoof-shake.

They stood up on the podium next to Allon as The Doctor announced the Third Place winner (Who, by the way, was Citrus 'o' Cream. A bright orange pony that already had her cutie-mark).

They beamed out at the audience, thrilled that they had achieved that much.

Doctor Whooves turned to the Winners and spoke quietly to them. "You may leave the stage. I assume that you've already gotten a parent or guardian's' permission, so go ahead go home to pack. Then tomorrow, head towards the train station, where another professor is waiting for you. I won't be there but they'll escort you to the palace and then around town for a little bit. At that point I'll meet up with you and take you home.

He turned back to the audience and spoke again.

"Thank you! Now we'll be moving on to the special awards!..." his words were lost as the fillies and colt dashed off of the stage and headed towards their homes.

The Cutie-Mark Crusaders galloped into the Everfree forest to tell Zecora the great news. She looked up as they came charging into her clearing.

"Hello little my little filly friends! Come to tie up loose ends?"

"No, but we've got fantastic news!" Applebloom said happily.

"Well, what is it? I must inquisite…"

"We got second place!" Kori exclaimed.

"Well that _is_ extremely surprising! But I thought for first place, you were striving…"

"We were, but then Kori's crush won first and-"

"Sweetie-belle!" Kori whined. "You said that you wouldn't say a word about that!"

"Oops" Sweetie-belle's face reddened. "Well… It's just Zecora, she won't make a peep!"

"Still…" Kori growled, glaring at the white filly. "What we can't figure out, is how Allon won! I mean, I know that he's _really_ smart, and his dad is a scientist, but his dad also is always away at work. He wouldn't be able to do any of it without at least _some_ help."

Zecora cleared her throat.

"I think I should tell you, just please don't yelp, but you're not the only ones who've been coming for help..."

The End 


End file.
